Ouagadougou

West Africa. Check.

A last minute work trip took me to Burkina Faso for a week in March and so I am able to say I have been to a tiny portion of West Africa now. It was a good week with colleagues and one where in spite of the security issues, I was able to experience a little more than just going back and forth between the office and my hotel. I was able to eat at several different restaurants in the evening and went to a gallery of furniture and crafts owned by the son of a man who was the Air France Manager for years in Ougadougou. Mangoes were coming into season and the temperature was hot - 106 F during the day. This of course made me happy as it was not 106 degrees back in DC. 

Of aviation note, I flew there on Air France via Paris. On the return home because of the security situation Air France at the time was not having their flight crew overnight in Ouaga. Instead, they pick up passengers in Ouaga and continue south another hour to Cotonou (another lovely name), Benin, where they switch crew (but don't pick up passengers) and then fly six hours back to Paris instead of the five that it would be from Ouaga. So technically I was in two countries in W. Africa!

Sunset over the Sahara

Ouaga Sunset

My hotel - largest structure for miles

Views from hotel (just a little different than Bangkok the previous month)

Lots of dirt roads

Duncan